Tummy tucks or abdominoplasty operations can benefit people of many different sizes and builds. The operation is not just for the overweight or heavy person. Many people of normal weight or a thin build will get substantial benefit and successful results. Even skinny individuals can enjoy more attractive and sculpted figures with a tummy tuck. As long as they have loose abdominal skin or weak muscles, the procedure can deliver amazing results. This educational writing will help you understand the benefits and results of this operation. Whether you are skinny, overweight, or normal build, an abdominoplasty can help give you a flatter and smaller stomach. This writing was written at the request of a patient from Media, PA.
Overview
Abdominoplasty is the medical word for a tummy tuck. The operation has three important features.
1- Removing loose and excess skin in the stomach area to give a flat stomach.
2- Muscle repair or tightening. The “California Corset ” is my method of extra tight muscle repair.More information on the California Corset.
3- Liposuction. This sucks out any surrounding or excess fat to feather and sculpt the abdominal and side areas.
Loose skin and excess fat are two of the main things targeted during the operation. People who are overweight or heavy will typically have large amounts of excess skin and fat. It’s correct to think that the tummy tuck will help these people. By targeting both the excess skin and the excess fat, the heavier patient will see a flatter, thinner, and more defined stomach. The liposculpturing targets the surrounding fat to get a more defined and trim result. But thin people also have excess skin and weak abdominal muscles. They will see improvement from the abdominoplasty, as well. The operation will target these issues or problems and can delivery excellent results.
Excess or Loose Skin
Patients who are thin or average build can have loose abdominal skin and NO excess fat. These people can still enjoy the benefits and results of the operation. Just like the overweight person, the thinner patient can enjoy the flatter and more defined abdomen after a tuck. I have husbands say to me, “Doctor, my wife is not fat; tell her she doesn’t need a tummy tuck.” The truth is that most of these women do benefit from a tuck. Most have loose abdominal skin that can be dramatically improved by removal. The most common reason for the loose skin is pregnancies and weight loss. Pregnancy will stretch out the abdominal skin to such a major degree that it will always be loose. Weight loss can do the same thing. In the patient who has significant loose abdominal skin, the tummy tuck can make wonderful improvements and give definition for the stomach, even if the person is thin.
Muscle Repair
The thin or skinny patient might also have weak abdominal muscles. The muscle repair can lead to major improvement when done as part of the surgery. Pregnancies and other conditions can stretch out the rectus abdominus muscles and lead to a rectus diastasis. This condition is extremely common. During the abdominoplasty, I will repair the muscle weakness in two layers. This is called imbrication. I repair it up and down for a two layered repair that I call the CALIFORNIA CORSET. I believe it’s an extra tight muscle repair that gives a more defined abdomen and better results. In the thinner patient, you are more likely to see this abdominal definition. The heavier patient will benefit from the repair as well; but you can’t always see as much definition, because they are heavier.
Recovery
Smaller and thinner patients often have an easier recovery with lower risks than larger patients. Being overweight is one of the biggest risks of almost all cosmetic operations. The excess weight increases risks of bleeding problems, hematoma, blood clots, and wound issues. Thinner and smaller people have lower risks after an abdominoplasty. The smaller person is easier to mobilize and to get around after the operation. This decreases pulmonary problems and decreases DVT or clot risks. Smaller people tend to have lower amounts of bleeding, hematoma, and wound problems. This doesn’t mean that larger patients can’t have a tuck. Weight loss before surgery is important, and I will review this in detail with each patient before surgery.Click here to get additional information on this topic .
Results
People of all builds typically see benefits and results of the abdominoplasty operation. Larger and heavier patients usually love the removal of the hanging or droopy abdominal skin. I have heard them call this lower excess skin many things including their tire, ledge, roll, gut, pannus, blubber, and many other nicknames for this excess skin and fat. The removal of this problem is one of the reasons the heavier patient will often get such high satisfaction from doing the procedure. The thinner patient also tends to get high satisfaction and happiness from the operation. The muscle tightening combined with the skin removal can show off their figure and sculpted muscles. This appearance can be more defined or “cut” than the heavier person.
Summary
People of all builds can get excellent results and benefits from an abdominoplasty. From heavy to thin builds, the operation will remove excess skin, tighten muscles, and sculpture excess fat to give a more attractive appearance to the abdomen. Thinner patients often will see more muscle definition from the California Corset muscle tightening, because there is less surrounding tissue to hide it. They often have easier recovery and lower risks than the heavier person.
For those interested, please come in for a consultation. They are thorough and extensive. I will work closely with you to help you achieve the goals you desire.
